Means for splicing inflatable tubes.



0. LOWE:

MEANS FOR SPLICING INFLATABLE TUBES.

APPLICATION FILED JUNE 7. 1915.

1,17 Patented Apr. 11,1915,

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J I naw/atom l7e212pse3 Z 0206*- 0. LOWE.- MEANS FOR SPLICING INFLATABLE TUBES.

APPLICATIONv FILED JUNE 7, l9l5.

1,179,200. Patented Apr. 11,1916.

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E 31? I I DEMPSEY LOWE. OF EAST AKRON, 0HIO.

MEANS FOR SPLICINGINFLATABLE TUBES.

To all whom it may concern Be it known that I, DEMPSEY LOWE, a citi- Zen of the United States, residing at East Akron, in the county of Summit and State of Ohio, have invented new and useful Improvements in Means for Splicing Inflatable Tubes, of which the following is a specification.

This invention relates to means for splicing inflatable tubes such as are used in pneumatic tires, the object of the invention being to provide simple means for greatly facilitating the formation of'perfect overlapping joints between the two extremities of a flexible tube, the means hereinafter described adapting the two end portions of the tube to be manipulated and held in such amanner and in such relation to each other that the cement or other binding agent may be evenly, uniformly and conveniently applied to the surfaces of the tube ends before said surfaces are brought into actual contact with each other.

A further objectof the invention is to provide means whereby one end of the tube maybe forced by air pressure over the other end of the tube in the process of forming .the splice.

With. the above and other objects in view,

the invention consists in the novel construction, combination and arrangement of parts,

as herein described, illustrated and claimed. In the accompanying drawings :Figure 1 is-a perspective view of the small mandrel or mandrel of least diameter. -Fig. 2 is a similar view of the mandrel of larger .size constituting the blower mandrel. Fig. 3 is an end view of the larger mandrel. Fig. 4: is a view of the opposite end thereof. Fig. 5 is an end View of the mandrel of less diameter showing the same reinforced along the slot therein. Fig. 6 is a longitudinal section through the end portions of an inflatable tube preparatory to forming the splice therein, showing the mandrels in elevation. Fig. 7 is a similar view showing the relation of the ends of the tube after one end .drel only in that it is provided throughout the length thereof with a slot 4 open at both ends for the purpose of permitting the tube to be withdrawn from the mandrel after thecompletion of the splice. The mandrel 3 comprises an outer wall designated by said numeral 3 and an inner wall designated at 4, said inner and outer walls being arranged Specification of Letters Patent. Patented Apr.'11 1916, Application filed June 7. 1915. Seria1iNd.32,712. v

in spaced relation to each other, thereby leaving-an intervening substantially annular air space having a substantially annular outlet 5'at the splicing end of the mandrel.

6 designates an air inlet which is. shown for convenience as located at the opposite end of the mandrel 3 from the outlet 5, air under pressure being forced in the inlet 6 and outwardly through the outlet 5 for a purpose which will presently appear.

' The splicing operation is carried out asv follows: One end of the flexible and inflatable tube indicated at 7 is ;.jnserted throu h the largeramandrel 3 and 'then turnedbac wardly over the air outlet end of said mandrel for a distance equal to the desired amount of overlap in making the splice,-the said backwardly turned portion of the tube being indicated at 8 In like manner the other end of. the tube isinserted through the smaller mandrel ,1 and turned back- Wardly upon the outside thereof'for a considerabledistance as indicated at 9 after which the same end portion of the tube, is again turned backwardly upon itself to form the inside overlapping end portion of the tube as indicated at 10. The end of the smaller mandrel 1 over Which the end of the tube is attached, as shown in Fig. 6 is then inserted into the end of the larger mandrel until the parts are brought into the position 1 and relation illustrated in Fig-6. Adhesive material such as ceinent'combined with an acid for curing the splice is then applied to Then air under pressure is forced through the blower mandrel 3 and finding exit through the outlet 5, blows the end portion 8 of the tube off the larger mandrel and over and upon the other end portion 10 of the tube 7. i

After the operation aboie referred to has been completed, the blower mandrel 3 is then slid] away from the other mandrel and is removed from the tube by drawing the tube through the slot 4. If desired, binding tape may "be passed around the spliced ends of the tube while still in place on the mandrel 1 until thespli'ce has been properly cured. The splice is then drawn lengthwise from the mandrel 1 and the tubeis then removed from the mandrel l by drawing the same through the slot 2 therein. In this way a perfect splice is obtained between the previously separated ends of the tube.

The wall ofthe mandrel may be of uniform thickness throughout or the longitudinal edges thereof which define theslot 2 may be internally reinforced as at 11 in Fig. 5 thereby strengthening the tubular mandrel and forming broad abutting faces which bear against each other when the binding tape above referred to is passed around the overlapping end portions of the tube while the cement or other adhesive is curing.

open at both ends, one of said mandrels comprising an outer wall and an inner wall in spaced relation to each other to leave an air pressure chamber.

2. Meansfor splicing inflatable tubes, embodying two tubular mandrels one of which is insertible in the other and each of which has a slot extending lengthwise thereof and open at both ends, one of saidmandrels comprising an outer wall and an inner wall in spaced relation to each other to leave an air pressure chamber having an air inlet and a substantially annular air outlet at the splicing end of the mandrel.

In testimony whereof I aflix my signature in presence of two Witnesses.

DEMPSEY LOWE.

Witnesses:

FRANK SHREVE, C. A. BARNHOLTH. 

